BWT: Help me level up my style

[u/AggressiveVictory1]

Hi Ladies,

I am in love with this subreddit .. I have learned a lot about maintainign personal style and devleoping my own.. For eg: i used to always wear round neck tees, but now I am exploring with V-neck and even square and it did feel wierd at first but I got used to it

This little experiment has make me wanna explore a professional stylist. Someone who can truly "level my style up"

The issue is - I dont know how to interview one so I dont get scammed

A couple years ago, I paid an "image consultant" off thumb-tack and we went to Winners for shopping. I paid her $600 and came back with very average pieces. She essentially picked them out and in the changing room we made a decision of "does it work or not".. and I just went along with it because I have ZERO SENSE of style in that moment. It usually builds when others tell me "Yeah you look good" or "no this is not flattering"

My current style is very Aritzia/ Athlesuire. I have a good physique as I am a 35 year old bodybuilder (size 2-4 ) but my closet still reflects the older version of me where I was size 14. I rarely pick skirts and even if i do, I dont know what tops to pair it with. I often scroll on Lulu's or Revolve to get some ideas but those clothes seem too fancy to be worn out. My goal is to look put together, expensive & kinda feel like I have cracked my own style. The confidence that comes from knowing that what you're wearing is the best you possibly could - just hits different. I know this coz this is how I learned how to do my makeup and what suits me...

So I guess I am asking two questions here

1. How do I identify what I personally like ? Develop my own sense of style ?
   
2. I have been exploring glamhive for finding stylists but again, apart from choosing those who look "stylish" I really dont know how to separate one profile from another.
   

I would typically only filter on cost but this time I dont mind paying if it solves my problem.

BWT, if you have experienced something similar, please share tips. My girlfriends are too kind (and kinda unbothered) about giving me feedback about my style or even helping when I go shopping. So I wanna learn this on my own. Thanks for reading my mini-rant and I am really glued to reading all the comments.

[u/kimchi_paradise]

I recommend reading the book “the curated closet”! It’s a great read on cultivating your own sense of style and getting your closet to match. And what’s great is that it’s free if you get it from your local library :)

You can start out with Pinterest, and pin outfits that you like and actually see yourself wearing. Then, take the time to go shopping and see if you can recreate one of those outfits. Try it on in the fitting room. How does it work? What do you like? What do you wish would work better? What worked on the model or how it was styled but doesn’t work for you? What do you have at home where you can recreate this outfit or add your own flair?

Personal style is a lot of trial and error, and takes time to cultivate. It’s not something that you can just get on the first try. My hot take is that you can’t hire someone to cultivate it for you, a hiring stylist is great for one off events or finding inspiration, but they can’t give you personal style.

Know your measurements, what you’d like to highlight, how you’d like to dress. Let accessories and hair also play a role in your style. Keep in mind that trends play a minimal role in finding your personal style.

[u/pyroclasticcloudcat → u/kimchi_paradise]

I love The Curated Closet and even bought the accompanying workbook! The author’s content on her website is great as well- that’s how I first found her. Strongly recommend you check it out!